Happy Halloween!

These pictures of me are truly hideous, but we won the costume contest for the first lunch teachers!

Race for the Cure

I am SO jealous I didn't get my head painted while I was bald. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
This is Lyla. I recognised her from a message board that has been essential to my sanity in the past eight months.
This is Parker. He is one of my former students. He hasn't seen me in a long time but recognised me because of my eyes.

This is the University of Oklahoma Women's Basketball Team. They were cheering on the walkers and runners near the finish line and were active in the closing ceremony.

The Race was AMAZING! There were over 17,000 people there, and lots of money going to fund breast cancer research. The RFTC (Race for the Cure) is mostly a celebration of life, and survivors are celebrated, but there were too many names on the back of t-shirts to remember those who have died from this nasty disease. I'm going to place some of my favorite pictures:

Race for the Cure-OKC

Tomorrow I will be starting my battle of stomping out breast cancer. I signed up for the Race for the Cure late because I honestly wasn't sure I could walk a mile or not. I'm putting the link to my very generic fundraising page if anyone wants to donate. I will add this with a warning that I will be asking for BIG donations later because I have to raise over $2,300 for the 3-day walk. I will update with how things went tomorrow.

HERE

Teacher of the Week Pic

This picture is with my head principal. I wish the student was with us, but my brain wasn't functioning well at the time. Geez I look frumpy.

Some days...

Some days things happen at work to make everything worth it. I've been very tired, but going back to work is my return to normalcy that I need to help feel better. I'm so tired by the end of the day I crawl to the sofa and watch TV and nap. This week for my students was a short week due to Fall Break and Parent/Teacher conferences. Yesterday I started wondering how my students did on the End Of Instruction Algebra test that they take as mandated by No Child Left Behind. I was jumping for joy to see that almost all of my students passed, and 75% of the students who made the highest score were mine. It made me know that I'm doing my job right, and my students are awesome.
Today I went to work already tired because I didn't sleep well and had a LONG day ahead of me. I get to school early but was running late for my first period class only to see the HEAD principal waiting by my room. I'm ALMOST always on time to class, but sometimes get caught up visiting with a co-worker or student. I rushed into my room and started to get my students settled down only to have my class interrupted for the most splendid surprise. I am officially KMGL Magic 104.1's Teacher of the Week! One of the morning show DJs was there along with my principal, several teachers and a few drag along students who were curious about what was happening. He read a beautifully written letter that I think I heard only the first three sentences to before my emotions took over and my tongue became too large to enable speech. Along with the words that warmed my ragged heart were some gift certificates that will be fun to use. My picture with my principal will be posted to the station's web page sometime in the near future. I had a goofy smile pasted to my face all day and my cheeks hurt. I can't believe that I've been given this wonderful gift and feel so undeserving compared to so many of the wonderful teachers I have worked with in my career.

Here is the letter: This is the best gift I've ever been given as a teacher...
Jeff,

I am so excited to tell you about Mrs. Amy Watkins!

My daughter attends WestMoore High School, and has admired Mrs. Amy Watkins for being such a strong and enthusiastic woman.

The last semester of last year, Mrs. Watkins was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Mrs. Watkins spent her summer going through treatment, learning how to fight the battle of cancer. Although she was told she would have to endure a mastectomy surgery in the upcoming months, she kept her faith, and felt the encouragement and love from all her students. She knew she could get through this difficult time in her life. She made a promise to her students that she would shave her head for them (actually she had no choice, her hair was falling out due to chemo but she didn't want her students to see it this way) if they all did well on their first test while she was out. In fact, all the students passed! They said they passed for her! And wanted to do this for her!

Mrs. Watkins is now back at WestMoore High School, giving our children the best gift: the gift of knowledge. I am pleased to tell you she is cancer free, however is still having tests ran regularly.

You see Jeff, Mrs. Watkins deserves this more than any other teacher I know. Not only has she struggled with cancer only to overcome it, and make her an even better person, but has also impacted so many young children. Impacted them in amazing way. They have faith when before they knew her they may not have had faith. They know love when before meeting her may not have felt love. They have an amazing teacher in Mrs. Watkins, and after all that she has been through, she is so deserving of the Magical Teacher of the Year Award or any of your astonishing gifts.

Something to show her how proud we are of her and how loved she is. To show her that she's not only given our students, my daughter, the gift of Knowledge, but also the gifts of Passion, Love, Faith, Hope, Drive and Determination, and the encouragement to overcome so many obstacles our children's lives may bring.

Please consider Mrs. Watkins, please consider her passion for life! Please consider her as the Teacher of the Year :)

Thanks Jeff for allowing me to express my thoughts. I've enjoyed writing you this email! I know Mrs. Watkins will enjoy hearing from you and everyone at Magic 104.1.

BRAC Testing Results

I decided to have the BRAC testing to determine if I carry the genetic mutation that is a known factor in breast cancer. Because my treatment is different because of my Stage IV cancer I didn't need it earlier to determine on the choice to have a single or double mastectomy. Many women who are BRAC positive have decided to have a double mastectomy as a measure to prevent recurrence.

When I had time to read about the BRAC mutation, I read that not only is the chance of breast cancer higher but also ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a very deadly disease because the symptoms are similar to cramps and gas. No routine testing is done for ovarian cancer at this time, so I wanted to find if they had a higher chance of breast or ovarian cancer.

The good news is that I am negative for the BRAC mutation. I know it sounds weird...I am glad that my sisters don't have to worry about having the mutation (they still need to have routine testing done) but I DO wish I could blame the cancer on SOMETHING.

I'm still doing well from the surgery. I still have drainage tubes coming out of my side to prevent fluid accumulating in the boob spot. I planned on going back to work tomorrow, but I'm afraid with tubes coming out work would be a bad idea. The risk for infection is higher, and my classroom is tiny. If I bumped into a kid it would hurt like crazy. I could see myself spewing fowl language at work...not good. I hate missing work, but I've learned that I have to take care of myself or I'm worthless to my kids.

Easiest surgery so far...

I have an implant now! It is soft and filled with saline and a very easy surgery. I think the anesthesia used must have been a lighter variety because I came out of it without the feeling I was smacked in the head. I was home in time for dinner even though all I ate were some peanut butter crackers.

I haven't got to look at it yet since I'm bound in an ACE bandage that isn't to come off until today when I go for the follow up visit. I've already tried peeking under the ACE but the skin is covered with a 4 X 4 bandage. I have a drain coming out of the surgery sight because there was a fluid pocket under the muscle. I was hoping it would be pulled out today, but I'm afraid there is too much fluid coming out to do that.

I am so glad this was so easy. I'm planning on walking in the Race for the Cure next weekend, and I was afraid I might have to ride the Survivor Trolley. Next year...the 3-Day.

Goodbye tough tittie!

I was planning on having my exchange surgery where the tough expander would come out and the softer implant would go in during Fall Break so I wouldn't miss any school, but that plan is out the door. For those who aren't in Oklahoma, Fall Break is a four-day weekend in October. I don't know if there is any reason for it, but it is nice. Anyway, my plastic surgeon won't be able to do surgery while I'm off, so I asked for the next surgery opening so the tough tittie can go.

The surgery will be at 2:30 on Monday. I have to be there at 1:00, and will be home by 6:00 after recovery. I should get to go back to work by Wed. or Thurs. The good news about this surgery is that the skin is numb due to cut nerves and the reports from others is that it is actually a relief to get the implant due to the hardness of the expander.

Have a great weekend!

I'm back in the saddle again.

I started back to work yesterday. Some may think I'm crazy, but I love my job and hated being away from my students. As I've gotten better physically, emotionally I've been worse. I've been in the middle of a pitty party for myself and almost sequestered myself from the rest of the world. I would go to my doctor appointments and put on a happy face for them, but the rest of the time I pretty much kept to myself. It is weird: I would be very happy when people called or e-mailed, but I never really called anybody or e-mailed them back. I "didn't want to bother anybody" with my feeling sorry for myself. I knew that this was depression, but it didn't make it easier to do anything about it. Every few days I wrote long blogs that have been deleted because I didn't want anyone to worry about me. The good news is that I'm getting better now. Going back to work is just what I needed.